A PENSIONER died in a "one in a thousand" accident when a routine surgical procedure went wrong, an inquest heard yesterday.

Terence Sargent, 70, was given an endoscopy to check for cancerous growths - and was told it was extremely rare that anything would go wrong.

But in a freak accident Mr Sargent's bowel was punctured, leading to his death.

Doctor Gillian Swift, who performed the procedure, said, "In this operation a hole is possible but we usually quote a less than one in a thousand chance of it happening. I don't think I've ever seen an example of this happening before."

A coroner's court heard the organ was "inflated like a balloon" so it was easier to look for any internal problems.

But a postmortem examination revealed part of the lining was weak and the extra air had burst a hole.

Retired drain-layer Mr Sargent complained of pain in his abdomen after the operation and an X-ray showed the hole.

But staff at Llandough Hospital, Cardiff, could not operate because Mr Sargent's breathing illness meant he would not survive an anaesthetic.

Cancer-suffer Mr Sargent, from Ely, Cardiff, died from an infection of peritonitis.

Geraint Williams, deputy Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan Coroner, said, "I don't think there can be any blame attached to the doctor or any of the medical staff." He recorded a verdict of accidental death.